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<p>Another note: In Japanese, letters don't have names like in
English. For example, we call the letter <i>i</i>
"eye" no matter how it's actually being used in a word. Its name is "eye." But
in Japanese, letters are just called by how they're pronounced. So when I refer
to the sound <i>u</i>, you shouldn't read it
"you." You should say "ooh," just like it's pronounced. </p>

<p>As to the order of the vowels above, this is their proper
order in Japanese. We'll learn more about this later. </p>


<p>
<span class="subhead">Doubled Vowels</span><br />
In English, when two vowels sit next to each other in a
word, they play mysterious games with their pronunciation. For example, add an
extra <i>e</i> to "bet" and you get a
totally different pronunciation, "beet." The word "been" is yet different. </p>

<p>Japanese has none of this nonsense. When two of the same vowel
come in a row, the sound simply lasts twice as long. The vowel sound doesn't
change - it just lasts longer. If you were to tap your finger at regular
intervals, the word <i><a href="hj://sound:Pronunciation_oku" class="clickable_bodycopy">oku</a></i>
would take two beats (o-ku), while 
<i><a href="hj://sound:Pronunciation_ooku" class="clickable_bodycopy">ooku</a></i> would take three
beats (o-o-ku). In fact, we can literally say that the latter is a
three-syllable word.</p>

<p>When first learning about doubled vowels, it's a good idea
to tap your finger while saying the word. Each syllable should get the same
length of time. It's really important to give those doubled vowels and
consonants (see below) their full value. And yes, it definitely can affect the
meaning of your words.</p>

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